Recently I had the chance to spend some time at Blizzard's HQ in sunny Irvine, California. Long story short, they have an amazing work-space and if you've ever been a fan of their games it's basically the real-world equivalent of getting to visit Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Where Orcs take the place of Oompa Loompas. Anyway, I also got to spend some considerable time talking to the WoW team on the day that they released their biggest patch to date -- 7.2.

And it was awesome to learn how much passion the team still has. And the fact they all play daily.

At this stage, over a decade after its initial debut, it’s clear that there’s no one way to experience World of Warcraft. Some come in solo, immerse themselves in the world, lore and story, whilst others simply play the role of a healer or tank and tackle dungeons or larger-scale raids in a group. Then there’s the PvP arena where competition thrives, crafting for those interested in creative expression, or even just wanting to catch up with friends and socialise. Trying to factor and include everyone into the equation for an update is no small feat. There’s a sense among the team, even after all these years, to create new things for all players. New locations for them to explore and quest in, and experiences for them to share.

“We have every type of player on the WoW team,” Ryan tells me. “We play as everyone does so we can give feedback saying, 'man, I wish I could do a dungeon with my pets’. Which we then respond, internally with, ‘okay, is that feasible?’ A lot of times we have big ideas, ones where we wonder both when and if we can do them.”

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